Child Life Practicum

The Division of Child Life and Integrative Care at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center offers a child life practicum for individuals who are preparing to become child life interns. The five week practicum is offered in the summer semester, generally during July and early August. Practicum students attend seminars, participate in directed learning activities and can expect to gain knowledge and experience observing and participating with certified child life specialists in various areas.

Practicum students usually work Sunday through Wednesday or Wednesday through Saturday.

Schedules may be 8:30 - 5:00 or 11:30 - 8:00, and may vary throughout the week.

The Division of Child Life and Integrative Care has responsibility for patient care 365 days a year with morning, afternoon and evening programs. As a result, schedules and assignment locations of practicum students at Cincinnati Children's will vary. Most practicum activities will take place at the main campus on Burnet Ave., but there may be outings to Liberty Campus, College Hill Psychiatric campus, or to spend several hours in a camp setting.

Each student will be individually assigned to observe/participate with specific child life specialists in their areas of expertise in the outpatient and inpatient settings. Practicum students will attend seminars together in order to promote group interaction and reflective learning. Written assignments will be completed individually and submitted to the program coordinator for review. Sunday and Saturday work will be primarily focused on group dynamics and learning to manage programs in activity centers.

These items must be provided three weeks before the program begins.

Health requirements: Students will be in good health before beginning a child life practicum at Cincinnati Children's and shall comply with the following standards:

Each individual shall have a negative two-step tuberculin skin test by the Mantoux method PPD-S US units per test within nine months prior to date of initial clinical experience. Exceptions:

Those individuals having a documented clinical record of tuberculosis and treatment with INH

Those individuals supplying a written record from a physician stating that the individual had a severe or markedly positive reaction to prior Mantoux test*Individuals with exceptions must have a physician's certification that they do not have communicable tuberculosis infection.

Each individual must have a documented clinical record showing immunity to rubella (either a positive rubella titer or a rubella vaccination).

Each individual must have a documented clinical record showing immunity to rubeola (measles). Proof of immunity can be shown by having a birth date prior to 1950, a rubeola vaccination after 1980, or with documentation of a physician stating the student has had rubeola.

Each individual must have a documented clinical record showing immunity to mumps (documentation from a physician stating the student had either mumps or a mumps vaccination).

Each individual must have a documented clinical record showing immunity to Hepatitis B or having started the series of three doses of Hepatitis B Vaccine (Recombivax HB or Engerix - B).

Required of accepted practicum students participating in program as part of a college / university curriculum:

A signed contract of agreement for practicum participation with your college / university.

Must have completed at least 5 three credit hour classes in Child Life, Child Development, Counseling, Education, Expressive Therapies, Psychology or Recreational Therapy or provide evidence of registration for these courses in the next semester.